• It was just like any other ordinary day. I rushed up the stairs to change into my bikini, then covered it up with some clothes. Then I rushed back down the stairs and flew out the back door. I got into the car with Mom and she drove us to the pool.

    It was only my second day back at the pool; for the summer I swam at the high school. I went to the locker room, took off my outer clothes, put on my swimming hat and goggles, and shook off my flip-flops. Then I jumped into the freezing cold water.

    It was so shallow compared to the last time I'd been here that I played around for a few seconds before doing my usual warm-ups. That's 2 or 4 laps of freestyle. The pool was 25 meters vertically.

    After doing the usual stuff, I motioned to Mom, who was at the window that separates the pool from the other parts of the community center, and I went into the showers. I felt pretty content.

    We were going straight back home after that, and when Mom was making a right turn there was a police car or something ahead of the car in front of us. It stopped, and the car in front of us stopped (a Cadillac), and we stopped. Then a car approached us at over 35 mph and crashed into us! The rearview mirror fell of, and a really heavy box was thrown to the other side.

    As I dialed 911, my hands were shaking. My voice wasn't straight. The woman at the phone told me not to panic. In a few minutes the police came.

    Now I am happy and content. But before I had nightmares, and each time I got onto the car I feared that we would get into a really severe crash. I thought I needed a psychiatrist to help me feel better. But I knew that friends should always know how to comfort a person.

    They talked to me and we exchanged stories. Soon I felt better, and now I act like any other normal person. Thank you, God, for all the friends you have given me. You are a great person, and now I feel well because of you.